Netflix is absolutely churning out gripping thriller movies right now, and its latest Korean psychological thriller, “Revelations,” looks like another must-watch.
Set to stream on March 21, the movie just got its final, tension-filled trailer.
A few weeks ago, Netflix dropped the first teaser for “Revelations” and I was immediately hooked after learning it’s helmed by “Train to Busan” director Yeon Sang-ho and written by “Hellbound”’s Choi Gyu-seok.
With that duo behind it, I’m fairly confident this psychological flick will at least be a thrilling watch, even if it doesn’t live up to my (high) expectations.
The movie follows Pastor Sung Min-chan (Ryu Jun-yeol), who becomes convinced he’s been chosen by a higher power to punish a dangerous criminal, and Detective Lee Yeon-hui (Shin Hyun-been), who is haunted by her past as she hunts for the truth.
The new trailer cranks up the intensity straight away, teasing a psychological showdown sparked by Min-chan’s chilling revelation after a fateful run-in with Kwon Yang-rae (Shin Min-jae), an ex-convict with a dark past.
We get very unsettling glimpses of devilish drawings, shots of a messy crime scene, and brutal fight sequences as the background music grows louder.
Ryu Jun-yeol, during a recent press conference in Seoul, said: “It’s a work that delves into the nature of humanity. Many people will relate to its realistic portrayal of how our beliefs drive our decisions and just how far those beliefs can push us.”
If this two-minute trailer is anything to go by, “Revelations” is already locked on my watchlist and I have a feeling it might just end up on my “best of 2025” list (keyword, might). Of course, I’m keeping my expectations in check before it lands on the streaming service.
‘Revelations’ on Netflix — what we know about this movie
Along with the final trailer and first look images, Netflix has also shared more plot details about what to expect when “Revelations” premiers this week. Here’s the official synopsis:
“Revelations follows a pastor who believes punishing the culprit behind a missing-person case is his divine mission, and a detective haunted by visions of her dead sister, each pursuing their own truths.”
Director Yeon told Netflix: “The story centers on the character psychologies of [Pastor] Sung Min-chan and [Detective] Lee Yeon-hui, who resemble one another, but make very different choices. I wanted to create a story about a lead character with egocentric views, someone who sees and believes only what he wants to. I was thinking of such a character through whom I could create a story within the genre, and Sung Min-chan, a pastor of a new church, was born.”
He also went on to say: “Many of the live-action films I’ve worked on deal with surreal themes in fantasy worlds. But this time, I ruled out fantasy elements as much as possible. I wanted to depict psychological elements that can be found in reality, such as illusions, delusions, and traumas.”
“Revelations” sounds like a truly fascinating thriller because it focuses on human trauma and emotion, rather than being an unrealistic thriller with jam-packed action. This one seems to be more grounded in reality.
The idea of two characters mirroring each other yet making drastically different choices has me very intrigued.
What excites me even more is that “Revelations” could greatly benefit from the influence of its executive director, Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón — renowned for “Gravity,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” and “Roma.”
Director Yeon has credited his discussions with Cuarón for “elevating the movie’s overall quality.”
Cuarón said to Netflix Tudum that the story is universal: “I have a strong belief that cinema transcends borders, transcends languages, and there’s nothing richer than a film that speaks about a very specific social context that is translated through the world because we have a shared humanity.
“It doesn’t matter which culture you come from, which religion you practice, which language you speak – human nature is one and the same, and it’s so great to connect with each other through cinema.”
With Yeon Sang-ho at the helm and a strong lead cast, “Revelations” clearly has strong talent behind it. While it remains to be seen how the movie will land with viewers, it’s one I’ll still be adding to my watchlist when it premieres on Netflix on March 21.
In the meantime, see what got added to Netflix in March 2025 or stream the best Netflix movies while you wait.
